It's been 15 years since LeAnn Rimes became a "target" after news of her affair with her now-husband, Eddie Cibrian, broke.
Despite the years since, the 42-year-old can still remember "all of the craziness" that followed news of her relationship with Eddie, who was married to Brandi Glanville at the time, while LeAnn was married to Dean Sheremet.
Affair
Recalling the backlash to their affair, LeAnn told Flow Space: "I realized very quickly that there are a lot of women who've been hurt.
"Like, I've been on both sides of that coin – I've been cheated on, too, so I know that feeling," she continued.
"But so many women don't know what to do with that anger. I was a target that was just easily projected upon. And once I realized that, things got a lot easier."
LeAnn admitted that she learned not to take the hate directed towards her "so personally", but she did take responsibility for her part in the affair.
"I know what I'm responsible for in the situation and making amends for that," she added. "But you know, the world's pain is not mine to carry, and I think that really got thrown at me for a long time."
LeAnn is now "truly living" after putting the affair scandal behind her. "If I want to live a fulfilling life, I've got to learn how to let that guard down. To me, it was either I was going to die, or I had to confront it," she explained.
"I think I've gone from survival to thriving to – if there is a level up from thriving – to truly living. I think that's where I'm headed."
LeAnn and Eddie's affair began in 2008 after they met on the set of the Lifetime movie Northern Lights.
The following year, rumors of their affair began circulating, although Eddie denied the reports at the time.
"It is a fabricated story that is using random snapshots as connective tissue to create a scandalous relationship," he told Access Hollywood in March 2009.
That July, both Eddie and LeAnn announced their separations from their respective spouses just days apart.
"Eddie is a devoted and loving father first and foremost, and the speed bump he and Brandi are experiencing needs to be worked out privately for everyone's benefit," his spokesperson said.
Brandi, however, didn't hold back with her statement, telling Us Weekly: "Eddie and I have decided to take some time apart. I want to do what is best for our children. Eddie and LeAnn deserve each other."
One month later, Eddie and LeAnn made their public debut as a couple, and he filed for divorce from Brandi, which was finalized in September 2010. LeAnn's divorce from Dean was finalized in June 2010.
Eddie and LeAnn got engaged in December 2010 and married on April 22, 2011.
They were in a public feud with Brandi for several years, but came together over co-parenting the former couple's children, Mason, 22, and Jake, 18.
Speaking of ending their feud, Brandi told the Hollywood Raw podcast in 2021: "I think we both grew up a lot because obviously, it was a decade of fighting.
"I think our kids had a lot to do with it because the kids love when we're all together, and it's so obvious. They're so happy. They're giddy little creatures."